Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 3/28/18

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in the departments of art, business, dance, interior design, nutrition, health and human performance, political science, psychology, and residence life. We also share news briefs about Meredith’s new admissions blog, the CRC Staff Workshop Series annual conference, and a reminder about the Spring All-Staff Meeting.

Meredith Dance Theatre’s performance of Professor of Dance Carol Finley’s Figure/Ground was one of 12 dances selected from among 40 to be performed in the gala concert at the American College Dance Festival Mid-Atlantic South Conference on March 9 at Virginia Commonwealth University. The piece features an original sound score created by staff accompanist Ken Ray Wilemon and was performed by 16 Meredith students. This dance had its premiere in the MDT concert at Jones Auditorium last November.

Instructor of Studio Art Holly Fischer has three sculptures included in Different Shapes: Sculptural Ceramics in North Carolina, an exhibition at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC.  The exhibition runs from April 13 – June 15, 2018, with an opening reception on Friday, April 13 from 5-7pm.

Associate Professor of Art Shannon Johnstone’s new photographic project “Stardust and Ashes” was written about by Ellyn Kail and published on FeatureShoot on February 26.  One of the pieces from this “Stardust and Ashes” series is currently in the North Carolina Artists Exhibition, which was juried by N.C. Museum of Art Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Jennifer Dasal. This piece was also selected for one of three Juror’s Choice Awards, and was discussed as part of the juror’s lecture on March 4. The exhibition will remain on display at Meymandi Concert Hall & Betty Ray McCain Gallery at the Duke Center for Performing Arts until April 22.

Heidi LeCount, director of residence life, presented a workshop on outstanding customer service for the Office of Professional Development at Shaw University on March 14.

Sharon Malley and Erica Roelofs, Instructors in the Nutrition, Health and Human Performance Department, attended the 2018 Southeast American College of Sports Medicine conference, held in February in Chattanooga, Tenn. Also attending were 13 students. Three students, Anna Huff, Cooper Rodriguez, and Jessica Lane, presented research projects under the direction of Erica Roelofs. Additionally, three students, Ana Lucia Rodriguez, Sarah Du Bose, and Jessica Lane, represented Meredith College in the Undergraduate Student Quiz Bowl and finished 8th out of 33 teams. Overall, the conference was a great experience for both faculty and students and provided numerous professional networking and educational opportunities.

Assistant Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo published an article in the Journal of Political Science Education recently. In the article, “The Purpose and Perception of Learning Objectives,” the researchers seek to use empirical evidence to examine the definitions, purpose, and impact of learning objectives on student performance. We find that there is no shared understanding of definitions and purpose of learning objectives among faculty, students, and assessment professionals. Additionally, using an experimental design, we find that learning objective wording and use in the classroom does not affect student performance.

Professor of Political Science David McLennan, along with Assistant Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo, wrote an op-ed that appeared in The Charlotte Observer and The News and Observer about the potential uncertainty over the “Blue Wave” being predicted in North Carolina’s 2018 midterm elections. In addition, he presented research findings, also co-authored by Whitney Ross Manzo, on the status of women in North Carolina appointed offices at the North Carolina Political Science Association meeting. Finally, McLennan spoke on the “The Gilded Age Politics of 2018” to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Andrea McPherson presented a two-hour guest lecture, “The Conceptualization and Assessment of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD),” to graduate students at Duke University on February 26, 2018. McPherson was invited by the director of the Duke Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic and professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences to present this topic to her Clinical Assessment (PSY 754) course.

Assistant Professor and Interior Design Program Coordinator Chris Smith attended the North Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NCAFCS) 2018 Annual Conference on March 24 in Wilmington, N.C. His abstract, “Teaching Universal Design Principles in an Undergraduate Interior Design Studio,” was recently published in the conference proceedings and presented as a poster at the conference. The purpose of the research study was to foster empathy in students for interior design clients with various limitations by allowing an experiential exercise in a residential undergraduate studio.

The final MBA paper written by Victoria Winslow and Beatrice Edwards II about the diamond industry in December 2017, and presented to Meredith undergraduate students in Associate Professor of Strategic and International Management Stephanie Hurt’s class this year, has been accepted for presentation at the Eastern Academy of Management conference in May 2018. This is one of the leading management conferences in the United States.

News Briefs

New Admissions Blog
As a tool to help prospective students navigate the college search, the Office of Admissions and the Department of Marketing have launched a new admissions blog. The site is a resource to help simplify the process and help more people find the right school. It includes advice on choosing, applying to and paying for college; details on important dates, deadlines, and events related to the college search; academic insights; and more. Visit the site meredith.edu/admissions-blog for more.

Staff Professional Development Opportunity
We want you! The CRC Staff Workshop Series (CSWS) annual conference has opened its Call for Proposals.  Last year more than 100 staff members from all of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges institutions came together for this professional development opportunity.  We are excited to offer this conference once again, and we are looking forward to even more diverse and relevant presentations.  We encourage you to apply for this unique opportunity to present on a subject in which you have experience.  Learn more online 

This year’s conference will take place on July 19 at the Southern Wake Tech campus. Registration for this free event will begin in late May, so if you are interested in attending be on the lookout for more information about registration.

Unsure if your topic would be a good fit, or if you have the right experience to present?  Call Sarah Kibler (x8724) or email her for more details: sakibler@meredith.edu.

Spring All-Staff Meeting March 29 

The Spring All-Staff Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 29 in Kresge Auditorium. Refreshments available at 9:30 a.m., with informational meeting to follow at 10 a.m.

This meeting includes food, campus updates, and door prizes. There will also be an online version of the meeting for those who cannot attend in person. Online Meeting Link

The All-Staff Meeting is sponsored by the Staff Affairs Committee. Members are Tammi Dittmar (At-Large), Co-Chair; Alicia Casadonte (Business & Finance), Co-Chair; Karen Brenneman (At-Large); Deborah Dalziel (Academic Programs); Rebekah Gardner (College Programs); Dilnavaz Mirza Sharma (President’s Division); and Kim Whitley (Institutional Advancement).